Material needs

 Disabled people need guaranteed legal rights and guaranteed material resources more than we need care, compassion, or community.

Disabled people deserve the material resources to live our lives even if no one loves us, cares about us, or includes us in their communities. This includes technology. This means that disabled people need readily accessible pre-prepared food, not community members to prepare food for us. Disabled people need accessible transit, not neighbors giving us rides. Disabled people need automatic dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers, not a supportive extended family to do our washing. Disabled people need wheelchair ramps and elevators, not helpful strangers carrying us. Disabled people need guaranteed incomes, healthcare, and housing, not charity or mutual aid.

Yes, it's nice that people do these things. But people who have no trouble comprehending "Yes, it's nice that the church hosted a bake sale for medical bills, but that's no substitute for universal healthcare" or "Yes, it's nice that they're babysitting their cousins' children, but that's no substitute for universal childcare" still seem to think that disabled people should settle for relying on the kindness of others to get our basic needs met.

And yes, disabled people ALSO deserve to be loved, to have friends, to participate in their communities. But our access to basic needs should not be dependent on this. Our access to medical treatment shouldn't be dependent on anyone's willingness to buy brownies, and our access to prepared food shouldn't be dependent on anyone's willingness to cook for us, and our access to housing shouldn't be dependent on anyone's willingness to build us special tiny houses in exchange for going to therapy.